Around the Green

The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.

Bret Gray Goes Wire-to-Wire to win 114th Texas Amateur

HOCKLEY – Bret Gray from San Antonio won the 114th Texas Amateur with a two-putt par on the first playoff hole Sunday at The Clubs at Houston Oaks. With a four-day total of 11-under-par 273, the Sam Houston State junior became the first wire-to-wire Texas Amateur winner in more than a decade.

“It hasn’t really set in yet. It still feels like a dream,” Gray said minutes after the playoff concluded. “I’m super excited and blessed. Just glad I could finish it off. It was a hard-fought day out there.”

Gray defeated Oklahoma sophomore Jase Summy in the extra session. The two talented competitors separated themselves from the rest of the field during Friday’s second round and dueled for most of the weekend. They finished seven shots clear of the rest of the field.

Gray held Summy at bay for much of the final round until Gray’s second shot on the par-5 16th. With a three-shot lead, he tugged a fairway wood into the thick, gnarly Bahia grass left of the green. Gray gouged out his next shot short of the green and suffered a bogey. Meanwhile, Summy walked in a 15-foot birdie. After that exchange, Gray’s lead was trimmed to one shot.

After pars on the 17th hole, Gray made another mistake on his approach into 18 green. Playing about 100 yards away in the right rough, Gray caught a flier. Instead of checking up on the green, it bounced hard and plunked into the water behind it. That led to another bogey. Summy made par to force the playoff at 11-under.

Gray’s drive on the extra hole rattled into one of the century-old oak trees in the 18th fairway. He caught a good bounce, however, and it finished harmlessly in the fairway. Summy blew his drive out to right and had a partially obstructed view on his approach shot. Gray hit his approach safely to 20 feet. Summy’s approach came up shot and left him 80 feet from the hole.

When Summy’s par putt just missed, Gray finally exhaled.

“That’s the first playoff I’ve ever won,” he said. “I’ve been in two others in my life, and one was when I was about 12 years old. I made a little bit better shot into the green the second time around.”

Gray becomes the first wire-to-wire winner since Texas Tech’s Chris Ward won the 101st edition at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas back in 2010. Also playing in that Texas Amateur were a pair of fresh-faced juniors who grew up to become Masters champions. Jordan Spieth, 16 years old at the time, finished T8. Scottie Scheffler, 14, was T14.

Now Gray has something Scheffler and Spieth don’t: a Texas Amateur victory. Gray’s name will be engraved onto the historic H.L. Edwards Memorial Trophy alongside the likes of Ben Crenshaw, Charles Coody, Scott Verplank, Mark Brooks, and Will Zalatoris.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “A special feeling, for sure. Hopefully I can have a great career like they all did.”

Not lost in all the drama was the fact that Gray’s victory came on Father’s Day. His dad John Gray walked the margins of the fairways all week in support of his son. Understandably, he was emotional after the win.

“I’m feeling wonderful,” he managed to say with watery eyes. “He played great golf all week. It couldn’t be a better Father’s Day than to watch him, then I get to go home and have dinner with my other sons.”

For Summy’s part, he was upbeat in defeat.

“For the week, I played all right,” he said. “All you can ask for is a chance to win, and that’s what I had. I’m thankful for that. I played pretty good, but it could’ve been a lot better.”

Travis Woolf, a mid-amateur from Fort Worth, finished in third place at 4-under 280. Plano’s Ethan Fang took fourth place at 3-under 281. Fifth place belonged to Baylor junior Luke Dossey with a 72-hole score of 2-under 282.

As it was all week, the temperatures climbed into the high 90s with triple-digit heat indexes on Sunday. The day saw some of the strongest winds of the tournament, however. There were gusts of 30 mph for most of the morning.

“The course played tough today, especially with the wind,” said Spring’s Carson Cooper, who finished T15 at 5-over 289. “Teeing it up at 8:40 in the morning, you’re not used to it gusting 25 mph on the first tee. It played tough, but it’s a championship-style golf course, and this is an elite championship. So it should play tough.”

Formerly known as Tennwood Country Club in the 1950s, Houston Oaks was reinvented into its current, majestic state after acclaimed architect Chet Williams led a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2016-17. Ranked as the No. 7 course in Texas according to the 2023 Dallas Morning News Top-100 rankings, Houston Oaks is the epitome of a championship-quality venue.

Stretched all the way back, the breathtaking par-71 course is 7,007 yards. The competitors in the 114th Texas Amateur played it at 6,914 in Sunday’s final round. The brilliant routing snakes through rolling topography that features more than 1,000 giant oak trees. Houston Oaks also offers several natural water features to avoid, as well as thick, native Bahia grass waiting to gobble up golf balls that stray too far from the fairways.

A critical element to pageantry of the Texas Amateur are the venues that play host to it. Almost all the best courses in Texas have opened their doors to this illustrious championship throughout the years. The Clubs at Houston Oaks certainly fits that description, as evidenced by the myriad compliments about the course from the players.

With that in mind, the TGA is proud to extend its most sincere appreciation to Houston Oaks, including the founding families, members, and staff, for their efforts in delivering such a memorable championship week. From the mint condition of the course and the exceptional quality of the food to the hospitality and general good vibes from all the members who attended and assisted during the championship throughout the week, we can’t thank them all enough.

Extra special gratitude goes out to General Manager Bob Gusella, Head Professional James Brown, Director of Agronomy Jason Schoonover, Superintendent Kevin Bednarik, Communications Manager Jennifer Wosnitzky, and Executive Chef Malik Riley for all their efforts in creating a successful week.

We’re also grateful for our TGA Volunteers, who gave their time and expertise to ensure the competitors in the 114th Texas Amateur received a world-class championship experience.

Next summer, the 115th Texas Amateur heads to the Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas. For more information on this year’s championship, including complete scoring, click here.

Around the Green

The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.

Bret Gray Leads 114th Texas Amateur with 18 Holes to Play

HOCKLEY – Eighteen holes separate San Antonio’s Bret Gray from etching his name into Texas golf history at The Clubs at Houston Oaks. After a second consecutive 4-under-par 67 on Saturday in the third round of the 114th Texas Amateur, the Sam Houston State junior holds a two-shot lead at 13-under 200 overall.

“Today was a grind,” said Gray, the 2022-23 Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year. “On the front nine, I made nine straight pars. I didn’t really get any putts to go in, but I made some good pars. On the back nine, the putter started to heat up, and I made a few putts coming in.”

Gray made five birdies on his back nine, including four on the final six holes. He recorded six top-10s for the Bearkats last season, topped off by a victory at the Bayou City Classic in February. Gray also won the All-American Intercollege in 2022 as a freshman. He said he’ll draw on those college wins for confidence during Sunday’s final round.

“The course set up the past two days definitely has felt like a college tournament,” Gray said. “The guys I’m playing with are guys I see in college events, so it has a college feel to it, for sure. One thing I can pull from is really taking it one shot at a time and making golf almost easy. Just hit the fairway, hit the green, and two-putt. If you make a putt, awesome. But just playing simple golf, and that’s how I’ve gotten my two wins. Hopefully we can get a third.”

To make that a reality, he’ll have to fend off Oklahoma sophomore Jase Summy from Keller one more time. Summy, also a collegiate winner, shot a 3-under 68 on Saturday. Through three rounds, he sits at 11-under 202, just two shots behind Gray.

“The round today was OK,” said Summy, who drained a 20-foot birdie on 18 to inch a little closer to Gray. “It was clean, not a lot of bogeys. I’m right there. I’ll have a good day tomorrow and see what happens.”

Gray and Summy two have separated themselves from the pack with their tremendous play. The next closest chasers are Baylor junior Luke Dossey and former TCU standout Travis Woolf, who are tied for third place at 5-under 208. Dossey posted the low round of the day, a stellar 5-under 66.

“I think I’ll need a little bit of help, but another day like today with more putts dropping and hopefully I’ll put myself in a position tomorrow,” Dossey said.

With Gray and Summy respectively eight- and six-shots clear of the field, Sunday might have a match play feel to it. The operative word there is “might,” because there is a host of talented amateurs who could make things interesting before it’s over. That group includes Woolf, Dossey, and University of Houston redshirt junior Jacob Borow, who shot 2-under 69 on Saturday to climb into solo fifth place at 2-under 211.

Four more players are tied for sixth place at even-par 213, including Houston Oaks member Kade Stewart, 111th Texas Amateur champion Trey Bosco from Austin, Plano’s Ethan Fang, and Houston’s Jeffery Zatorski.

The National Weather Service’s Extreme Heat Warning remained in effect on Saturday for South Texas. A bit of cloud cover in the morning helped ease the effects of the heat, but it burned off by about 10 a.m. The heat index reached 100 degrees by noon, while the actual temperature hovering around 90 degrees.

Despite the soaring temperatures, all the players remaining in the field, as well as the Houston Oaks staff, the TGA Championships team, and the spectators enjoying the display of elite golf have been mindful to stay hydrated and soak up as much shade as possible. Thankfully, there have been no instances of anyone overheating this week.

The final round of the 114th Texas Amateur begins Sunday at 8 a.m. at Houston Oaks. For more information, including complete scoring, click here.

Around the Green

The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.

Jackie Burke Cup Set for Nov. 14-15

HOCKLEY – The state’s top 24 junior golfers from North and South Texas will gather at The Clubs at Houston Oaks for the 16th Annual Jackie Burke Cup from Nov. 14-15.

“The Legends Junior Tour is very fortunate to be able to bring the Jackie Burke Cup to The Clubs at Houston Oaks,” LJT Tournament Director Kevin Porter said. “This is one of the most incredible properties in the state and the top-rated course will pose a great challenge to our teams this year.”

The new Chet Williams-designed golf course, which in 2020 was ranked by the Dallas Morning News as the second-best course in Texas, will welcome the Legends Junior Tour for the first time. After a 17-month reimaging and overhaul of the existing property, the modern-day Houston Oaks course was unveiled in 2017. Williams’ stunning 7,007-yard, par-71 layout if framed by groves of oak trees, natural water features and vast native areas.

“The Clubs at Houston Oaks is proud to be the host venue for the Jackie Burke Cup in 2020,” Head Golf Professional Nick Holligan said. “The Jackie Burke Cup is not only the best of junior golf in Texas, it also allows funds to be raised for fantastic causes. I’m sure the smooth fast greens, pure fairways and challenging bunkers will be a delight for the competitors to show off their vast array of skills. Texas has so many fantastic golf courses, and we could not be happier to be the chosen venue for the premier tournament on the junior calendar.”

First conducted in 2005, the season-ending Jackie Burke Cup is by invitation-only and features the top 12 players from North Texas squaring off against their counterparts from South Texas in a Ryder Cup-style competition. Each team consists of eight players from the Boys 15-18 Division, two from the Girls 12-18 Division and two from the Boys 14 & Under Division.

The teams will face off in four-ball, foursome and singles matches over the two days. Matches are worth two points and a tied match is split: one point for each team. The matches start with six four-ball matches Saturday morning followed by six foursome matches in the afternoon. On Sunday, players are selected for 12 singles matches, leaving 48 possible points to be earned throughout the weekend. The North Team will need 24 points to retain the cup, while the South Team will need 25 points to win the cup.

Players earned their way onto their respective teams by accumulating points throughout the year in designated LJT and Texas Junior Golf Alliance tournaments. North and South regions are defined as either being above or below the 31’ parallel (Salado, Texas).

“Both teams always feature the players that played the best all year on the Legends Junior Tour and it’s a fun event to sit back and watch from an administration standpoint,” Porter said. “These players have consistently finished toward the top all season. Now, they get a chance to compete with each other in a team event and have some fun to finish off another great LJT season.”

The North Team has won the last six Jackie Burke Cup matches and leads the overall series 8-7. Leading the North in 2020 is Plano’s Matthew Comegys, who earned Player of the Year honors in the Boys 15-18 Division. Connor Adams of Dallas, Trevor Algya of Highland Village, Ben Delarosa of Dallas, Gage Doyle of Colleyville, Ethan Fang of Plano, Matthew Foster of Dallas and Davis Ovard of Frisco round out the older boys competing for the North Team. North Texas will also be represented by Savannah Barber of Fort Worth and Sophie Beidiger of Dallas. Plano’s Rhett O’Rear, the Boys 14 & Under Player of the Year, and Brooks Simmons of Dallas will round out this year’s North Team.

The South Team, which looks to win its first Jackie Burke Cup since 2013, will consist of Austin’s Sam Dossey, who finished second in the Boys 15-18 Player of the Year Standings, Spring’s Andrew and Matthew Spaulding, Houston’s Preston Rouse, Austin’s Andrew Tan, Trevor Mierl and Keaton Vo. Following the players from Boys 15-18 Division, the South will be represented by San Antonio’s Julia Vollmer, who finished second in the Girls 12-18 Player of the Year Standings, and Grace Jin of San Antonio. Daniel Zou of The Woodlands and Trenton Mierl of Austin will represent the South from the Boys 14 & Under Division.

At the 2019 Jackie Burke Cup, hosted by Wichita Falls Country Club in Tyler, the North Team claimed their eighth overall victory and sixth straight win over the South Team 34-14.

For more information on the 16th Jackie Burke Cup, click here.

NORTH TEAM:

Name

City

Age

Top Finishes

Connor Adams

Dallas

Boys 15-18

  • James A. Ragan Memorial – Champion
  • North Texas Classic – 3rd
  • Bluebonnet Championship – T5
    • Starts: 10 | Top-10s: 3

Trevor Algya

Highland Village

Boys 15-18

  • NTPGA All-American Tour Ahead Bagpipe Open – Champion
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – 2nd
  • NTPGA All-American Tour Challenge at The Tribute – T7
    • Starts: 9 | Top-10s: 4

Matthew Comegys

Plano

Boys 15-18

  • North Texas Classic – Champion
  • Bluebonnet Championship – Champion
  • Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship – 3rd
    • Starts: 6 | Top 10s: 5

Ben Delarosa

Dallas

Boys 15-18

  • NTPGA All-American Tour Spring Finale – 2nd
  • 94th Texas Junior Amateur – T7
  • Bluebonnet Championship – T7
    • Starts: 10 | Top-10s: 6

Gage Doyle

Colleyville

Boys 15-18

  • NTPGA All-American Tour Azalea Trail Junior Classic – 3rd
  • NTPGA All-American Tour Srixon / Cleveland Golf Cowboys Classic – T4
  • Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic – T18
    • Starts: 12 | Top-10s: 7

Ethan Fang

Plano

Boys 15-18

  • Winter Classic – Champion
  • Texas Cup Invitational – T2
  • Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship – T28
    • Starts: 3 | Top-10s: 2

Matthew Foster

Dallas

Boys 15-18

  • NTPGA All-American Tour October Open – Champion
  • NTPGA All-American Tour Round-Up at Rockwall – Champion
  • North Texas Classic – T10
    • Starts: 11 | Top-10s: 7

Davis Ovard

Frisco

Boys 15-18

  • NTPGA All-American Tour North Texas Junior Showcase – 2nd
  • Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship – T4
  • James A. Ragan Memorial: 5th
    • Starts: 13 | Top-10s: 4

Savannah Barber

Fort Worth

Girls 12-18

  • NTPGA All-American Tour Spring Finale – Champion
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – 6th
  • Texas Girls’ Invitational – T12
    • Starts: 8 | Top-10s: 5

Sophie Biediger

Dallas

Girls 12-18

  • Bluebonnet Championship – 2nd
  • NTPGA All-American Girls Series #6 – T3
  • Collegiate Preview – T4
    • Starts: 12 | Top-10s: 6

Rhett O’Rear

Plano

Boys 14 & Under

  • James A. Ragan Memorial – Champion
  • Flodder Financial Shootout – Champion
  • Bluebonnet Championship – 2nd
    • Starts: 10 | Top-10s: 9

Brooks Simmons

Dallas

Boys 14 & Under

  • 94th Texas Junior Amateur (Boys 14 & Under) – Champion
  • Flodder Financial Shootout – T3
  • Winter Classic – 4th
    • Starts: 8 | Top-10s: 7

 

SOUTH TEAM:

Name

City

Age

Top Finishes

Sam Dossey

Austin

Boys 15-18

  • Collegiate Preview – Champion
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Mid-Summer Showcase – Champion
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – 4th
    • Starts: 10 | Top-10s: 5

Trevor Mierl

Austin

Boys 15-18

  • James A. Ragan Memorial – 2nd
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Aggieland Classic – T3
  • Winter Classic – T4
    • Starts: 15 | Top-10s: 6

Preston Rouse

Houston

Boys 15-18

  • STPGA Prestige Tour Challenge – Champion
  • North Texas Classic – T4
  • Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational – T7
    • Starts: 13 | Top-10s: 8

Andrew Spaulding

Spring

Boys 15-18

  • Texas Cup Invitational – T5
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – T5
  • Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship – 7
    • Starts: 5 | Top-10s: 4

Matthew Spaulding

Spring

Boys 15-18

  • 94th Texas Junior Amateur – T2
  • Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational – T2
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Summer Preview – T2
    • Starts: 6 | Top-10s: 4

Andrew Tan

Austin

Boys 15-18

  • STPGA Prestige Tour San Antonio Open – T2
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – 3rd
  • James A. Ragan Memorial – T6
    • Starts: 11 | Top-10s: 5

Keaton Vo

Austin

Boys 15-18

  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – Champion
  • Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship – 6th
  • 94th Texas Junior Amateur – T12
    • Starts: 3 | Top-10s: 2

Daniel Zou

The Woodlands

Boys 15-18

  • STPGA Prestige Tour Fore Challenge – Champion
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Summer Preview – T2
  • Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship – T3
    • Starts: 6 | Top-10s: 6

Grace Jin

San Antonio

Girls 12-18

  • STPGA Prestige Tour Aggieland Classic – Champion
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Shootout In The Hills – Champion
  • James A. Ragan Memorial – 8th
    • Starts: 14 | Top-10s: 10

Julia Volmer

San Antonio

Girls 12-18

  • STPGA Prestige Tour New Braunfels Showcase – Champion
  • Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational – T2
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – T7
    • Starts: 12 | Top 10s: 8

Bowen Ballis

Shenandoah

Boys 14 & Under

  • Bluebonnet Championship – Champion
  • Flodder Financial Shootout – 2nd
  • 94th Texas Junior Amateur (Boys 14 & Under) – T2
    • Starts: 7 | Top-10s: 7

Trenton Mierl

Austin

Boys 14 & Under

  • North Texas Classic – Champion
  • Spring Preview – Champion
  • Winter Classic – Champion
    • Starts: 9 | Top-10s: 9